Starting your own recording studio business is not as expensive or difficult as you might think. But before you start thinking about gear and making money you need to master the skills.
The skills needed to run a recording studio (Crack into the Business) can be broken into 3 categories: Audio Engineering, Business Management, and Client Relationships.
Audio Engineering Skills
You will need to know how to do anything your clients may ask for. In addition, you will need to be able to do them all as fast and accurate as possible. This is not possible without memorizing all the shortcuts for the audio recording software you choose to work with. If you have already mastered the techniques used in recording you need to also master these shortcuts.
Do not use equipment or software that makes you look unprofessional, no matter how good you are with FL Studio, it is not a professional software. With your new recording studio, you will need to create value for your customers. I am not saying you need to go out and buy $20,000 worth of equipment, but you can not just got to your local Best Buy and get what you need in a studio. The basics will be a moderately priced large diaphragm condenser microphone, a quality recording interface with decent preamp, a computer that will not crash in the middle of your recordings and an acoustically suitable room for recording.
Business Management Skills
Owning and managing a website to attract clients is a must. You cant just have a myspace account, you need an actual website. Learn how to build and manage one or save up to have someone do it for you.
Promote yourself with business cards and demo CDs of your work at local shows and advertise on craigslist. Once you get your name out there with quality work you will not have to advertise anymore, the word of mouth and internet website will sustain you.
Client Relationship Skills
Answer all your business calls and never break appointments.
Under-promise and over-deliver, by this I mean set realistic goals with
your clients and exceed those goals so you look like the hero.
Don’t rip on other studios, just prove that you are the best by skills, not smack talk.
Give something for nothing. If you client goes over 10 minutes, just tell your client that you’ll throw those 10 minutes in for free. Something small like that goes a long way.
Growing Your Studio
Scout out the other small studios in the area for prices. More than likely it will be about $20/hr for the cheapest. Start here with your prices. With the money you make continue to upgrade your equipment. Once you have plenty of business raise your price by $10. Continue this process till you get to about $50. After this price point you will need to really have some quality demos, equipment and studio space. I have not passed this barrier with my studio but I will update it on my findings when I do. This is still a good price point even if you stop here. $50/hr for 40hrs/wk is $100,000/yr. Not too shabby for a home recording studio business.